Trolley-controlling mechanism



G. M. WATERHOUSE, SR. TROLLEY CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5,1918.

Patented Mar. 29, 119211.

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y 7%. wbafilii' ATTORN EY G M WATERHOUSE, SR TROLLEY CONTROLLING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 5| I918- Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

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' amwm INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY PATENT GEORGE IJI. WATERHOUSE, SIP, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR ONE-HALF T0 GEORGE MEADE WATERHOUSE, 53., OF WILDWOOD, PENNSYLVANIA.

TEOLLEY-CONTROLLING IvTECI-IANISM.

svaoeo.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 29, 1921..

Application filed December 5, 1918. Serial No. 265,410.

To aZZ w hom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. WATER- HOUSE, Sn, a citizen of the United States, residing at an East 25th St, New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Controlling Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

present invention has relation to certain new and useful improvements in trolley controlling mechanisms of a type that may be advantageously employed in connection with a conventional form of apparatus for retaining the trolley pole in a position whereby the wheel thereof is normally held in pressing engagement with the trolley wire; and as its primary object, it contemplates the provision of a novel device of this character that includes means to be automatically actuated to return the trolley to a position whereby it may be quickly engaged with the wire and to automatically relieve the same from pressure when it is moved into a folded position.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the type in question that is extremely simple in. construction, strong and durable. and highly practical from both the standpoint of the manufacturer and the standpoint of the user; and which, it is be lieved, may be manufactured at a comparatively low cost.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent during the continuance of' the following description.

These objects are accomplished by such means as are shown in their preferred form in the accompanying drawings. described in the following spec1ficat1on and then more specifically pointed out in the appendedv respective cylinders broken away so as to disclose the interior mechanism thereof more clearly;

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section of an improved valve to be used in conjunction with my invention.

In Fig, 2 A denotes a suitable support which, in the present embodiment, is shown in the form of an'ordinary car top, upon which the base or carrying blocks 10 and 11 respectively may be mounted. The base block 11 is provided with oppositely arranged bearings 12 that are designed to support a carrying shaft 13 upon which the trolley pole 14: may be mounted. In order to facilitate the more secure connection between the trolley pole and the shaft, the latter may be squared intermediate its-ends as clearlyshown in Fig. 2, while the trolley pole may be provided with a squared opening to receive the same. This construction is also clearly shown in Fig. 1. At its upper end, the trolley pole 14; is suitably forked or branched as at 15 to revolubly support the trolley wheel 16 as at 17, while the latter is designed. to engage with an ordinary conductor 18. I have also shown the usual cable 19 for properly operating the trolley pole.

The conventional form of device for retaining the trolley pole or rather the wheel 16 thereof in pressing engagement with the conductor 18 at all times, as shown in the present embodiment, consists substantially of a cylinder 20 mountedon the base plate wardmost position with respect to the cyl-- inder. At its outer end. the piston 21 has pivotal connection with a head structure 23 as shown at 24, while the head structure is in turn cut away about its outer face as at 25. for engagement with a block 26 that is fixed on the carrving shaft 13 and equipped with suitable offsets 2'? to seat in the said cut out portions. Thus it will be seen that the expansion spring 22 acting on the piston will normally tend to retain the same in its forwardmost position with respect to the cylinder thus causing the engagement of the head 23 and the block 26 to the end that the shaft 13 will be moved so as to normally retain the trolley pole in position shown in dotted lines to the left in Fig. Consequently,by drawing the pole downwardly and engaging the wheel 16 thereof with the conductor 18, it will be noted that the wheel inc: face I34of the trolley pole will engage .the trolley pole 14 may be automatically controlled and as a result operated both quickly and easily. To this end, I provide an air cylinder 28 that may be of any suitable construction or dimension. that carries a slidable piston head 29 and a piston rod 80; the latter being slidably mounted eXteriorly of the cylinder through the instrumentality of spaced bearings 31. An expansion spring 32 may also be arranged in the cylinder 28 so as to normally retain the piston head 29 in its rearwardmost position with respect thereto. In this embodiment the lower end I of the trolley pole 14 is enlarged as at 33 to form a bearing face 34 for engagement with the abutment face 35 of the enlargement 36 of the piston rod at certain-times and an actuating finger 37 for controlling the air valve such as will be hereinafter pointed out. Consequently, it-will be seen that when the trolley pole-assumes the position shown in dottedlines to the left in Fig. 1, the engagwith the abutment face 35 'ofthe piston. rod 30 whereby actuation of the said piston rod, will cause the pole to be moved into aposition similar to that shown in full lines in Fig. 1. However, this operation will be described .atlength hereinafter! A suitable air 11116 such as designated by the numerals-38 may be connected with vthe [cylinder 28as at 39 and controlled by a suitable .three-wayvalve as shown in-detail in Fig. 8 -With a view of providing means for properly supporting the. controll ng valve and at the same time permit the free and easy operation thereof. I employ a seconoshaft 40 which may also be carried by the bearings 12 as clearlyshown in Fig. 1.- VVhile the valve proper,-41, is arranged-to bev movable with the shaft 40 its casing 42 1s preferablyarrangcd stationary with re specttheretmnas in! the usual construction.

The air conducting pipes .43 and 44 'respec tively (see Fig; 3) have connection with the I casing-42 at suitable points so as to register with the openings 45 and'46. The valve 41' is in turn provided with a 'cut out 47 for establishing 4 communication between the f openings 45 and-.46 at certain times and an aperture 48 which may be brought into registry 'wlth the outlet opening49 of the cas at certain times while the cut out 47 is in registry with the opening 4. Consethrough the valve into the pipe 44 and into the cylinder. 28. However, when the valve is moved into the position shown in dotted lines, communication with the pipe 43 will be closed and established between the pipe 44 and the outlet opening 49 of the valve casing whereby the air from the cylinder may be exhausted.

I also providenovel means to automatically actuate the valve 41 simultaneously with movement of thetrolley pole 14 to such positions. With this in view, I equip the shaft 40 with an actuating member such as shown at 50 which in turn carries spaced studs 51 and 52 to lie in the path of movement of the finger 37 of the trolley pole.

Consequently, it will be seen that when the trolley pole moves into the left position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l, the finger 37 thereof will-be engaged-with the'stud 52 thereby causing movement of the actuating member 50 "and the consequent movement of theshaft 40 and actuation of the valve 41.

However, when thetrolley pole is drawn: j into the other positionshownindotted lines,

direction, as will be the valve 41.

lnthe operation of my invention. assoon as the wheel 16 of the trolley pole isldisenthe shaft 40 will be moved in anopposite gaged from the conductor 18, the trolley pole Wlll be moved into a'position such as shown in dotted lines to the left in Fig. 1 by action of the expansion spr1ng 22 and the conventional form of mechanism above re ferred to; movement of the trolley pole to this position, however, the engaging face 34 of the enlargement 33 of the pole Wlll be engaged withithe abutment face 35 of the 1 piston rod 30 and the finger 37 of the pole engages with the stud 52 of the actuating V 1 member 50 so as to rock the latter and cause soon as this operation occurs, air will be admitted'through the valve 41 to the cyl'a inder28 thereby forcing the pistonhead 29 forwardly and causing the enlargement 36 Of t piston .rod 30 to move the trolley poleintc a position such'as shown infull lines in Fig. 1. When in this positionthetrolley pole maybe quickly and easily manipulated so that the wheel 16 thereof" may be engaged with theconductor 18. The

valve .41 will of course'remain open and the piston 'rod 30 will continue to bear against v the. enlargement 33 of-the "pole and act. against the tension of the expansion spring 22. However, when the operator draws the, trolley pole into a folded position, such as shown in dottedlines to the right in'Fig.'1', the 'finger 37 of thepole will be engaged with the stud 51 of the actuating member thus moving the-actuating member and the shaft 40 to cause movement of the valve 41 and thus establish communication between:

the advantages and novel features of my invention will be readily understood and, therefore, further detail description is deemed unnecessary.

In reducing my invention to practice I find that the form referred to herein as the most practical and preferred embodiment is the most efficient, but realizing that certain conditions will necessarily vary in concurrence with the adoption of my device, I desire to emphasize the fact that various minor changes in the details of construction and in the proportion of parts may be resorted to when required without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a support, of a trolley pole, of a means to movably support said trolley pole, an actuating finger carried by said trolley pole, compressed air actuated mechanism arranged in proximity to said trolley pole to be engaged therewith at certain times to move said trolley pole, a supporting member, a valve carried by said supporting member to control the admission of compressed air to said mechanism, an actuating member affixed to said supporting member, spaced studs on said actuating member, and said studs adapted to be engaged by said finger at certain times whereby said valve will be opened and closed, as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a trolley pole, and means tending to retain the same in pressing engagement with a trolley wire, of a compressed air actuated mechanism to move the trolley pole against the tension of the said first mentioned means, a valve, an oscillatory actuating member therefor, and means carried by said actuating member to be engaged at certain times by one end of the trolley pole upon movement of the pole in either direction for actuating said valve.

3. In a device of the character described the combination with a movable trolley pole including a wheel and means normally tending to retain said wheel in engagement with the trolley wire, of compressed air actuated mechanism to move the trolley pole against the tension of the said first mentioned means,

a1shaft,1a .valve thereon, a. casing surrounding the valve, means for conducting compressed air from the valve to said compressed air actuated mechanism, a valve actuating member secured to said shaft, and means carried by said valve actuating member for engagement withaone end of the trolley pole to actuate" said valve when the end of the trolley pole engages said compressed air actuated mechanism.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a movable trolley pole, means tending to retain the same in pressing engagement with a trolley wire, a compressed air actuated mechanism to move the trolley pole against the tension of the said first mentioned means, a valve, and a valve operating member arranged in the path of movement of one end of the pole and normally disengaged therefrom, said valve operating member being adapted to be engaged by the endof the pole upon movement of same in either direction.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a movable trolley-pole having its lower end extended below the pivot thereof, means normally tending to retain the wheel of the trolley-pole in pressing engagement with a trolley wire, a compressed air actuated mechanism to move the trolley pole against the tension of the first mentioned means, a valve for controlling the compressed air mechanism, and a valve actuating member arranged in the path of movement of the end of the trolley pole arranged below the pivot and adapted to be engaged at certain times by the pole during movement of the same in either direction.

6. In a device of the character described,

"the combination with a movable trolley-pole including a wheel, means normally tending to retain said Wheel in engagement with the trolley wire, said trolley-pole having its lower end extending below the pivot thereof, a compressed air actuated mechanism to move the trolley pole against the tension of the first mentioned means, said lower end of the trolley pole being provided with a bearing face, said compressed air mechanism including a plunger having an abutting face for engagement with the bearing face of the pole, a valve for controlling the compressed air mechanism, a valve actuating member arranged in the path of movement of the end of the trolley-pole arranged below the pivot and adapted to be operated by the movementof the pole in either direction.

7 In a device of the character described, the combination of a trolley-pole having its lower end extending below the pivot thereof, means normally tending to retain said wheel in engagement with the trolley wire, a compressed air actuated mechanism to move the trolley-pole against the tension of the first mentioned meansya valve for con actuating'member upon movement of the trolling the compressed air mechanism, a trolley-pole in either direction. a

10 valve actuated member arranged in the path In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 7 of movement of the end of the trolley pole in presence of two witnesses.

arranged below the pivot, and spaced studs GEORGE M. WATERHOUSE, Sn.

'on'said valve actuating member adapted to Witnesses:

beengaged by the lower end of the trolley- WILLIAM SHERIDAN, pole at certain times for actuating the valve J OHN MITCHELL. 

